Jordan Hooper earned one of 12 spots on the USA Basketball World University Games Team.

Photo Courtesy Scott Bruhn/Nebraska Communications

Courtesy: NU Athletic Communications

05/22/2013

Lincoln - Nebraska's Jordan Hooper earned a position on USA Basketball's 12-player roster for the Women's World University Games, USA Basketball announced on Sunday.

Hooper, a 6-2 forward from Alliance, Neb., captured her first roster spot with USA Basketball in her first trip to a trials. The two-time All-American has powered Nebraska to back-to-back NCAA tournaments, including a trip to the NCAA Sweet 16 as a junior in 2013.

Hooper, a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, earned a spot on USA Basketball's Women's World University Games Team after three days (May 16-18) of intense competition among 33 of the nation's top collegians at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

The U.S. Women's Basketball Junior National Team Committee chose the select squad that will represent the United States at the World University Games in Kazan, Russia, July 8-15. Hooper and the other 11 members of the U.S. team will meet again for training at the USOC June 25-July 1.

"I am really excited," Hooper said. "I didn't really think I had much of a chance to make the team honestly, because there were so many great players, and I didn't really feel like I played that well the first two days. But I made up my mind from the beginning to just go out and play hard and do my best, and I think that's what the coaches liked about me."

Hooper, who will sporting No. 10 for USA Basketball, is one of five members of the 2013 USA Basketball Women's World University Games Team who will be making their first appearances on a U.S. squad. Shoni Schimmel (Louisville), Aaryn Ellenberg (Oklahoma), Crystal Bradford (Central Michigan) and Tricia Liston (Duke) all join Hooper as first-timers on the U.S. team.

The other seven members of the squad have multiple years of a experience with USA Basketball, including Ariel Massengale (Tennessee), Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (UConn), Bria Hartley (UConn), ReShanda Gray (Cal), Cassie Harberts (USC), Theresa Plaisance (LSU) and Odyssey Sims (Baylor). The team will be coached by Sherri Coale (Oklahoma) with help from assistants Brian Giorgis (Marist) and Coquese Washington (Penn State).

"It is a great opportunity," Hooper said. "I am just going to try to make the most of it and enjoy the experience. I'm really honored to get a chance to represent the United States at the international level for the first time."